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Paths and Books
"Paths and Books" is chapter 5 of GURPS Thaumatology and is a broad variant of Ritual Magic system. ''Optional'' Rules Regarding Magery (Path/Book) * Mandatory Magery: Only individuals with at least Magery 0 can influence the magical forces needed to perform Path/Book magic. * Limited Non-Mage Ceremonies: Non-mages are at -5 on all ritual rolls. ** “Fractional” Magery 0 (1 point/level; max 5): each point eliminates a -1 to skill. Only at 5 points are the other benefits (such as magic item detection) available. * Magery Adds to Rituals: Magery level serves as a bonus to skill rolls for rituals but does not add directly to Ritual Magic/ Path or Book skills * Magery Caps Skills: sets an upper limit (10 + (2 x Magery) on Ritual Magic skill and on all Path or Book skills. Elements "Rituals have three basic elements: time to conduct the ceremony, ritual space attuned to the spirits or forces involved, and material and symbolic components." Effect Shaping Magic Effect Shaping Magic is the default for Path and Book magic. It means ceremonies work because they shape the desired result, either by manipulating reality directly or by invoking and binding or persuading spirits to perform the task. The ritual involves one skill check Energy Accumulating Magic In Energy Accumulating Magic a ritual may be relatively easy, taking only moments and a word or a thought but the energy required is not provided by FP but by spirits. The roll represents the binding or success of going through the hierarchy of spirits. Critical failures are the same as for the default magic system but skill rolls are for each state of the ritual rather then for the whole ritual. GURPS Thaumatology Book examples * The Book of the Names of the Dead - "deals entirely with the sort of necromancy that ends up banned by any lawmakers who learn of it – but it includes enough protections and countermeasures that benevolent scholars sometimes force themselves to read it." * Gentle Art of the Floating World - from the world of magicians, geisha, and ninja. * The Deeper Principia, Annotated - Sir Isaac Newton’s three-volume Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica...which according to magicians contains embedded mystical secrets in the text. GURPS Thaumatology: Age of Gold examples * Ritual Witchcraft - Low Magic Path-based magic. * Invocationism - a highly formalized Path-based tradition that treats energy as strongly aspected. * Diabolism - Book-based magic leaning heavily on the conjuration of very dubious spirits. :* The Hierarch :* The Lineaments of Purity :* The Razor’s Edge :* The Record of the Embassy :* The Seventh Text of Misdirection :* The Way of Perfect Conquest Example - Slayers magic system The magic in the Slayers anime can be handled via Path/Book Magic though modifiers beyond the standard -6 for each spell is up to the GM. Given the way some spells work Unlimited Mana rules may apply See also * Glossary of Magic * GURPS Fantasy * Ritual Path Magic * Technique Mastery Category:Rules Category:Concepts Category:Thaumatology